Published: Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 6:31 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 6:31 p.m.

That's especially true if you lease out a single-family home, a major chunk of the Wilmington-area rental market.

In fact, some management companies here forbid renters from smoking inside the homes – not outside – and put the stricture into the lease.

It's a trend that's starting to appear nationwide, experts said, though restrictions on apartment dwellers are far less common than on renters of houses.

Major U.S. apartment manager Related Cos. is going smoke-free in all of its properties, said Rick Haughey, vice president of property operations and technology at the National Multi-Housing Council trade group. But they tend to be in denser urban markets like New York and Chicago, he added. Related has no apartments in the Wilmington area.

Such companies also are targeting the upper end of the rental market, Haughey said.

Headwaters at Autumn Hall has non-smoking buildings – most in demand by potential tenants – said assistant manager Yates Galarde. The complex, which is 93 percent leased, also bans smoking on the outside or inside of the clubhouse or anywhere by the pool, she said.

But Bell Partners, which manages 2,455 units in nine communities in Wilmington and 70,000 total, doesn't restrict smoking in the units, said Kevin Thompson, senior vice president of marketing at the Greensboro-based company. "However, we do have non-smoking areas."

In-unit smoking restrictions have much to do with cost and maintenance, local managers said.

"Once you've smoked in the unit it gets into the duct work, stains the paint work and gets into the carpet," said Karen Parkin, who owns Wilmington's Best Rentals, whose units range from $650 to $2,800 a month. Smoking isn't allowed in any of the units it manages, she added, and "we haven't had an issue with anybody fighting it."

In fact, owners prefer the restriction, she said

"We are going to charge (tenants) to have HVAC service to clean and deodorize" if they violate the rule, Parkin said, adding that a lot of potential tenants ask in advance whether the units had smokers or pets in them.

Indeed, it's a potential marketing advantage for apartment complexes in some types of communities and in some markets, Haughey said.

"What we are seeing in properties that are (going smoke-free) is they are phasing it in with new leases – slowly turning over and becoming smoke-free," he said. "Some larger properties are doing some smoke-free.

"A lot of it is a decision based on the market and the product" and whether, for instance, smoking is prevalent, Haughey continued. "We're starting to see the first round of turnovers in the higher market."

But going smoke-free here is slower to catch on.

Maryann Hanna, regional property manager for Phillips Management Group, which is based in Greensboro, said smoking restrictions might catch on in new construction, but the firm doesn't ban smoking in its units.

David Sweyer of Century 21 Sweyer & Associates also said smoke-free would work better in new construction. The brokerage has two apartment complexes and has no anti-smoking rules because they are hard to enforce, he said.

It's a different story for single-family homes. Sweyer manages more than 1,300 units. A smoking ban is in the lease for houses, he said.

Roanoke, Va.-based University Housing Group, which is finishing its 228-unit Carolina Cove complex here, tries to group smokers.

"We try to create smoker and non-smoker buildings," said Wes Bradley, the company's president. "We have designated smoking areas," he said, adding that smoking is not allowed in the clubhouse or amenity areas.

"There are fewer and fewer smokers," Bradley said. "It's a matter of time before you see such bans from properties."

<p><b>This is a corrected version of an earlier story.</b></p><p>Renter alert. Smoking can hit you where you live.</p><p>That's especially true if you lease out a single-family home, a major chunk of the Wilmington-area rental market.</p><p>In fact, some management companies here forbid renters from smoking inside the homes – not outside – and put the stricture into the lease.</p><p>It's a trend that's starting to appear nationwide, experts said, though restrictions on apartment dwellers are far less common than on renters of houses.</p><p>Major U.S. apartment manager Related Cos. is going smoke-free in all of its properties, said Rick Haughey, vice president of property operations and technology at the National Multi-Housing Council trade group. But they tend to be in denser urban markets like New York and Chicago, he added. Related has no apartments in the Wilmington area.</p><p>Such companies also are targeting the upper end of the rental market, Haughey said.</p><p>Headwaters at Autumn Hall has non-smoking buildings – most in demand by potential tenants – said assistant manager Yates Galarde. The complex, which is 93 percent leased, also bans smoking on the outside or inside of the clubhouse or anywhere by the pool, she said.</p><p>But Bell Partners, which manages 2,455 units in nine communities in Wilmington and 70,000 total, doesn't restrict smoking in the units, said Kevin Thompson, senior vice president of marketing at the Greensboro-based company. "However, we do have non-smoking areas."</p><p>In-unit smoking restrictions have much to do with cost and maintenance, local managers said.</p><p>"Once you've smoked in the unit it gets into the duct work, stains the paint work and gets into the carpet," said Karen Parkin, who owns Wilmington's Best Rentals, whose units range from $650 to $2,800 a month. Smoking isn't allowed in any of the units it manages, she added, and "we haven't had an issue with anybody fighting it."</p><p>In fact, owners prefer the restriction, she said</p><p>"We are going to charge (tenants) to have HVAC service to clean and deodorize" if they violate the rule, Parkin said, adding that a lot of potential tenants ask in advance whether the units had smokers or pets in them.</p><p>Indeed, it's a potential marketing advantage for apartment complexes in some types of communities and in some markets, Haughey said. </p><p>"What we are seeing in properties that are (going smoke-free) is they are phasing it in with new leases – slowly turning over and becoming smoke-free," he said. "Some larger properties are doing some smoke-free.</p><p>"A lot of it is a decision based on the market and the product" and whether, for instance, smoking is prevalent, Haughey continued. "We're starting to see the first round of turnovers in the higher market."</p><p>But going smoke-free here is slower to catch on.</p><p>Maryann Hanna, regional property manager for Phillips Management Group, which is based in Greensboro, said smoking restrictions might catch on in new construction, but the firm doesn't ban smoking in its units.</p><p>David Sweyer of Century 21 Sweyer & Associates also said smoke-free would work better in new construction. The brokerage has two apartment complexes and has no anti-smoking rules because they are hard to enforce, he said. </p><p>It's a different story for single-family homes. Sweyer manages more than 1,300 units. A smoking ban is in the lease for houses, he said.</p><p>Roanoke, Va.-based University Housing Group, which is finishing its 228-unit Carolina Cove complex here, tries to group smokers.</p><p>"We try to create smoker and non-smoker buildings," said Wes Bradley, the company's president. "We have designated smoking areas," he said, adding that smoking is not allowed in the clubhouse or amenity areas.</p><p>"There are fewer and fewer smokers," Bradley said. "It's a matter of time before you see such bans from properties."</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic99"><b>Wayne Faulkner</b></a>: 343-2329</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @bizniznews</p>